Compartment-cabinet.



PATBNTED AUG. 1, 1905.

5. EV E 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1. I

0. v'. SMITH. COMPARTMENT" CABINET;

APPLIOATIOK FIB ED OUT. 18, 1904.

64am Vd mz'th,

Inventor,

Httomegs v Wfinesses PATENTED ;AUG.- 1, l905. I

7 c. v. SMITH.

'OOMPARTMENT CABINET;

APPLIOATION FILED OCT. 18, 1904 amz mmm' @ventor,"

A tt nae gs 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

s e s s e n h w UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Aug. 1. 1905.

Application filed October 18, 1904. Serial No. 228,998.

To a whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAUDE V. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springvalley, in the county of Fillmore and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Compartment-Cabinet, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to compartment-cabinets, and more particularly to one adapted for use in distributing mail and other matter without the necessity of the presence of an attendant for the purpose.

The structure of the present invention is adapted more particularly to be used by Sunday-schools for distributing papers, classbooks, cards, and the like to pupils; but it is equally adaptable to be used by postoflices, and for that reason it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to any particular use.

The object of the invention is to simplify the construction of such cabinets, to increase their efficiency, to minimize liability of matter being surreptitiously removed, and to protect the operator while distributing mailmatter from having it purloined.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction and combination of parts of a compartmentcabinet, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like characters of reference indicate correspond ing parts, there is illustrated one form of em bodiment of the invention capable of carrying the same into practical opration, it being understood that the elements therein exhibited may be varied or changed as to shape, proportion, and exact manner of assemblage without departing from the spirit thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a cabinet constructed in accordance with the present invenion, the view being taken from the front thereof, the doors from a majority of the compartments being removed. Fig. 2 is a view in horizontal section on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale. Fig. 4 is a perspective detail view of a portion of the cage. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view, on

an enlarged scale, showing one form of lock that may be employed in conjunction with the doors.

The frame of the cabinet comprises two side pieces 1, a top piece 2, and a base 3, these parts being secured together in any pre ferred manner. Disposed in vertical parallel relation between the top piece and base is a series of partitions 4, of which there may be any desired number, and these partitions are divided into compartments by transverselydisposed wires or bars 5, which constitute'the bottoms of the compartments or pigeonholes 6. These wires preferably extend from side piece to side piece of the frame and are arranged on an incline from the front to the rear, for a purpose that will presently appear. Each compartment or pigeonhole is closed by a door 7, to the lower edge of which is con nected, in any suitable manner, a carrier 8, the connection in this instance being shown as effected by means of a bracket 9, secured to .the inner side of the door and to which the carrier is loosely pivoted at 10. This carrier is comparatively narrow at its terminals and bulged at its center and forms an approximately pear-shaped structure that will permit of the doonbeing opened or closed. The outer edge of the carrier is provided with an upturned flange or bead 11, that operates to prevent the mail or other matter from tilting from the carrier when the door is opened. The object for having the supporting-wires arranged on an incline, as described, is to obviate any danger of mail-matter becoming clogged within the pigeonhole and also to cause such matter to press downward against the door, so that as the latter is opened the mail or other matter will remain upon the carrier, and thus permit its removal. The carrier is to be of such length that when the door is opened to its fullest extent it will still bear become separated from the pigeonhole. The door, as stated, may be of any preferred construction and has combined with it a lock comprising a socket 12, a tumbler 13, seated therein and having its rear end reduced and projecting through the socket, and a latch 14, held combined with the tumbler by having its inner end upset. The latch is designed to engage a keeper 15, suitably combined with the inner face of the partition 4.

The description herein given is for one of counterpart of the other the construction of all will readily be understood.

Combined with the rear of the cabinet are two wire doors 16 and 17, thatare reinforced by marginal stay wires or bars 18, 19, and

upon one of the bars or wires, and thus not the doors and pigeonholes, and as each is a' 20, With which the wires 21 are combined in any preferred manner. The top and outer side of each of the doors are turned inward at right angels to the door-back, and the vertical portions of the marginal stay-wires 18 are hinged in any suitable manner, as at 22, to the rear edges of the side pieces. These doors or shields are adapted to be turned at right angles to the width of the cabinet and form a cage to protect the operator, where used in a post-office, against having mailmatter surreptitiously removed while being distributed, and when closed and in a position shown in Fig. 1 the entire back and top of the box is protected, inasmuch as the inturned portions at the tops of the doors bear against the rear edge of the top piece, and thus effectively prevent any possibility of mail or other matter being removed at those points. The doors may be held together in any preferred manner, in this instance by an ordinary padlock 23.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that although the cabinet of this invention is exceedingly simple of construction that it combines in a thoroughly efficient and durable manner all the requisites necessary to the presentation of a useful article and that, further, certain defects present in post-office boxes now in general use are obviated in a positive manner.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A cabinet of the class described embodying a plurality of pigeonholes or compartments, the bottoms of which are of grid form, doors for closing the outer entrance to the compartments, and mail-carriers combined with the doors.

2. A cabinet of the class described embodying a plurality of pigeonholes or com partments, spaced bars forming the bottoms of the compartments, doors for closing the outer entrance to the compartments, and mail-carriers combined with the doors.

3. A cabinet'of the class described embodying a plurality of pigeonholes or compartments, spaced bars constituting the bottoms of the compartments and disposed on an incline, doors for closing the outer entrance to the compartments, and mailcarriers combined with the doors.

4. A cabinet of the class described embodying a plurality of pigeonholes, doors for closing the outer entrance to the compartments, and mail-carriers combined with the doors.

5. A cabinet of the class described embodying a plurality of pigeonholes or compartments, doors for closing the outer entrance to the compartments, and mail-carriers combined with the doors and provided with guard-flanges.

6. A cabinet of the class described embodying a plurality of pigeonholes or compartments, doors for closing the outer entrance to the compartments, and hinged cage members for closing the inner entrance to the compartments.

7. A cabinet of the class described embodying a plurality of pigeonholes or compartments, doors for closing the outer entrance to the compartments, and open-work doors hinged to the rear portion of the cabinet and constituting cages to close entrance from the rear of the compartments.

8. A cabinet of the class described embodying a plurality of compartments, the bottoms of which are of grid form and disposed on an upward incline from the front to the rear of the structure, doors for closing the fronts of the individual compartments and having mail-carriers combined therewith, and a cage for closing the rear of all the compartments.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CLAUDE V. SMITH.

WVitnesses:

PETTER H. DUFFY, A. E. BURLESON. 

